Thursday, July 30, 2015

First of all I apologise for the clutter in the background but I ran out of time this morning and decided to take these outfits photos at uni rather than at home. Also it was raining this morning and I had too much to do today to wait for the weather to cooperate! On the plus side you can see the archaic (pun intended) folders in the background jam packed with palaeontology papers! While it's not totally inspiring to see my messy office space it does remind me of when I first started reading fashion blogs, particularly The Fashion Void that is DC. This later morphed into Moohoop a Tumblr blog and in 2011 Brooke Kao stopped writing altogether. She was among the first wave of fashion bloggers who really pioneered blogging as a platform for self-expression and although her photos weren't polished, her guide of vintage and thrift stores within Washington propelled her to success. I guess today I just really wanted to be vulnerable and removed from the realm of commercial, air brushed photos and perfect hair.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I've
long maintained that graduate collections are among the most
interesting and innovative but it seems the next generation from
Westminster are proving that they are ready for commercial success as
well. I was instantly reminded of Japanese designers such as Comme Des Garcons as well as the artistic flair of Claire Barrow. It also marked a badass transition from the typical winged eyeliner which every 20-something year old was obsessed with. Aside from the biker jackets, spontaneous use of tinsel and metallic threads I loved the thick strapped sandals. They reminded me so much of Agyness Deyn's collaboration for Dr Martens released a few years ago which simply reinforces this idea of the London fashion scene being a tight knit community. Obviously the shoes were the icing on some kind of extended metaphor about a cake because the biker jackets were without a doubt the centre of attention. Although it seems that each look is simply derivative of a single idea, if you look closely each jacket was made from a different designs. I did a little sewing as a sophomore in high school but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to work with leather. That's part of the reason why McDonald is seriously deserving of praise and accolades.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Usually when we say the word "jungle" we refer to something chaotic or disorganized, but visually they are among the most cohesive surrounding on the planet. Aesthetically, colour is king and just about every life form has learned to advertise itself using colour or camouflage itself to hide amongst the plants. Both Hayley Elsaesser and Kenzo have recognized this and taken inspiration from the jungle in all its splendor. The animal menagerie you see before you is not too unlike that from Disney's 'The Jungle Book' way back in the 1960s. From things that slither to the most fearsome of feline predators, knitted prints and silk dresses captured the full spectrum of wildlife from the rainforest. Elsaesser has combined her loud prints with anthropogenic iconography such as eight balls wearing cowboy hats, whereas Kenzo have revistited their muse over a number of seasons. The end result is eye-popping colour in a range of comfortable and roomy shapes and silhouettes perfect for a walk through the savannah or traipsing through the forest.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Wearing: Vintage jacket, Romance Was Born skirt, thrifted top and heels.Please excuse this throwback to an obnoxious 1980s game show host, minus the tall quiffed hair but I was in a mood where I wanted to wear lots of purple and green. This colour scheme also encapsulates many Poison Grass type Pokemon as well as the Batman villain and total badass Poison Ivy- ergo uninspired blog post title. Even though it's Winter the garden has remained lush and vibrant which has really inspired me to spend more time outside. By far the best part of this year has been spent learning more about nature, particularly plants and fungi, in order to better understand how ecosystems interact as a whole. Basically nature is great and so inspiring and I can't imagine a point where I'd be so jaded I'd be incapable of appreciating its beauty.Also, it's about this time of year that someone either online or IRL tells me that I need to cover my dark circles or do something about the bags under my eyes. Huzzah! I've come up with the perfect solution (although I'm not the originator):